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The holiday season is here – hustle and bustle everywhere. The lines are long and the parking lots are full, but SOME of the stores are worth stopping at. Take Talbots for instance: they just mailed out their $20 certificates last week to everyone on their mailing list (rewards card holders or credit card holders). This is at least their third mailing this year! Those certificates are going to expire tomorrow – do NOT let them go to waste! As I waited in the line, every lady in front of me had their certificates out of their purses, ready to hand over to the cashier.

So here’s the thing, don’t just grab two pair of $10.00 stockings and bring them to the register – because they currently have a promotion going on: 30% off one item, or 40% off two items. That being said, to make your coupon valid (useable & worthwhile), you’ll want to either find a single item for at least $29.00 or multiple items totaling at least $34.00. Those totals will get you closest to the $20 mark after the % discount.

So, here’s what I grabbed: this adorable 3-pack of socks marked $29.50 (since polka dots and bows are some of my favorite things). Once they take the 30% off, that becomes $20.65. Take off the $20… 65 CENT plus tax… 69 CENTS total!!

$20 Certificate!

$29.50 Original Price!

3-Pack of Socks Marked $29.50

Down to 69 CENTS!

That comes to exactly 23 cents per pair!

Talbots also has individual socks priced at $9.50 each, so with their current promotion and $20 certificate, you could purchase 4 pairs for about $3 including tax.

Don’t need the anything at Tablots but still have your certificate? Grab the 3-pack for under a dollar for an easy last-minute gift, or donate them to a local shelter or church.

One of my favorite sales of the year is coming up in less than two weeks!
The annual 5-day Splashof Pink pop-up at the Tanger Outlets in Westbrook, CT starts on Wednesday August 16th at 9:00AM.

Some tips of advise from previous years:

*Get there early, VERY early (especially on the weekends). The line will start forming a few hours prior to the opening time. It’s better to be waiting at the beginning of the line and get to enter the store first, than arriving late and watching others through the window shop while you wait to be let in. The employees will only let a certain number in at a time – but it still seems crowded once you enter!

*Come prepared. I mean, black Friday prepared. It’s not uncommon to see women sipping on their morning coffees and eating breakfast in line. And, I’ve seen a portable chair or two – just make sure you’re with someone who will bring it back to the car for you when it’s your turn to enter. Trust me, your boyfriend/husband will NOT be the only one dragged along (there’s a nice ledge they all sit on as they watch the shopping madness and hold mile-high piles of potential purchases)

*Grab fast. It is First Come, First Served – and sizes & styles are very limited. So if you see something you love, grab it. If you turn around or walk away, it might be gone for good. Items are re-stocked throughout the weekend, but shoppers never know which items will be re-stocked or when the re-stock takes place. With that being said, make sure you try it on, because all sales ARE final. Which brings me to my next tip….

*Wear “conservative” undergarments. The dressing room consists of one giant curtain. Basically, you find a spot right next to someone else to strip down and try on items. You’re sharing mirrors in one massive mob of women. And it may sound far fetched now, but if someone sees you trying on an item that they LOVE, they may “stalk” you to see if you’re going to give it up as you leave the fitting room.
(And, I don’t use the term stalk lightly. Last year, I had a teenage girl and her mom eyeing my every move as I contemplated between a size S and size M of the TuskInSun t-shirt dress. They watched me try each size on, commenting on the fit, and trying to convince me to choose the M even though it was way too big! Unfortunately for her, I ended up snatching the S).

*Just have fun! Pop-up sales can be hectic, but when you find an item you love, they are totally worth it! Since Lilly rarely goes on sale, this one is not to be missed!

Just in case you didn’t receive a postcard in the mail, I posted a photo of it below! Please be sure to read the details, they only take certain payment options (no checks), and remember sales are final, so make your selections wisely!

If you’ve been to this pop-up in the past, I’d love to hear your experiences, advise & tips – please share in the comments section!

Till next time, get ready!
(And be sure to check back after the sale to get a peak at my findings!

Hair barrettes. They’re tiny, they break easily, and no matter how careful I am, my favorite ones always “disappear”. So why are they so expensive?!

Fortunately, I found some great mark downs at J. Crew and it was definitely time to stock up! Their barrettes come in a wide variety of sizes, and the color choices of silver, gold, rose gold and tortoise shell make them extremely versatile for any outfit. They also hold a GOOD amount of my super-thick hair (well enough to sweep the top part off of my face) – so that’s a plus!

Rose Gold & Gold Barrettes

The barrettes a J.Crew normally retail for $12.50 (some are a little less or a little more). The two I chose were marked down to $6.99 each, and then there was an additionally 50% off discount on top of the sale price! I ended up getting two different barrettes for under $8 – which was less than the original price of one! That’s over 65% off!

I haven’t posted in a while, but if you’re reading this, thank you for checkin in!

I’m a huge fan of snail mail. Unfortunately, since much of the world relies on the internet, texting and video chats for nearly all forms of communication, our mailboxes are typically only filled with bills, magazines and “junk mail”.

I cherish the joy of going to the mailbox each day in December to find Christmas cards, but each year, fewer and fewer arrive. When is the last time your mailbox contained a personal letter, card or note?

Since snail mail has become a rare surprise, rather than an expectation,
it’s become even more meaningful.
Shouldn’t saying “thank you” be meaningful?So to say thank you, snail mail all the way, to make someones day.
(Then again, that’s just my opinion, because I can’t image a year not sending Christmas or Birthday cards to close family & friends).

If you’re into stationary trends (be it cards, invitations, return address labels, personalized note pads & notebooks), hopefully you signed up for a Tiny Prints account at one point or another. If you did, there’s good news – so check your mailbox!

Tiny Prints and Shutterfly have now collaborated into one website – it does not change any of your log-in information, instead, it just links the accounts!
To advertise this new joint venture, they sent out cards (yippie, snail mail!) and a follow-up e-mail with an amazing coupon code to account holders. 10 FREE THANK YOU NOTES, PLUS FREE SHIPPING! Typically, you end up paying shipping with their free-item promos, so this deal really goes above and beyond.

The promotion even included foil stamped thank you notes (for instance, the design I chose retails for $3.14 per card!), and each design allows you to personalize with a name if that suits your fancy! I am so excited for my personalized thank you notes to arrive in the mail! Even though I love paper-crafting and card making, sometimes it’s helpful to have some pre-made and ready to go!

The deal expires July 31st, so if you received a coupon code, do NOT let this one pass you by. You’ll thank yourself later! My order would have totaled $36.39, but it was completely FREE!

There are a few things in life that get me really excited. Getting free stuff is on the top of that list!

Tonight I took a trip to the mall. I entered with quite a few coupon in hand. The best one was from Talbots. $20 off any $20+ purchase! No, I don’t have a Talbots Credit Card. What I do have is a FREE Talbots rewards acount, that they look up via phone number. These $20 certificates were sent out to that entire mailing list. Can’t beat that!

Talbots didn’t have many great sales going on tonight, and I thought some of the prices were a bit steep. That being said, I made my way to the accessory section of the store (always lower priced items). Plus, who couldn’t use a few extra pairs of socks?! No matter how careful I am with the laundry, they still seem to disappear! These two packages of knee highs were EXACTLY $10 each – I’ll take 2! For Free!!

I topped off my trip to the mall with a nice, hot cup of my FAVORITE tea: Buhdas Blend. I had filled out a short survey on the DAVIDsTEA website a few weeks ago, and had earned a FREE cup! Yum…

Holiday weekends are always known for having amazing deals. Nordstrom Rack and Saks off 5th offered 25% off already-reduced clearance items. Talbots offered 70% off of already-reduced clearance items. Ann Taylor offered 50% off already-reduced clearance items. Lord&Taylor had 75% off all winter coats, dresses, sleepwear and more (and if you were lucky enough like me, they also mailed out a $30 bonus card – that could be used like a gift card on ANY purchase!).
I could go on and on…. Let me show you some of my favorite finds of the weekend:

Monique Lhuillier at 88% off!

Oscar De La Renta at 88% off!

St.John at 93% off!

Starting off, this Coral Monique Lhuillier chiffon gown retailed at $990. It was marked all the away down to $149.99… take the extra 25% off of that: $112.49! That’s over 88% off!

Next on the list, Oscar De La Renta. This classic day dress was originally marked $1,990. The clearance tag marked it way down to $319.97! After the 25% off, this dress came to $239.98: 88% off!

Third, a St. John exclusive for Saks – the best spotted deal. This dress was originally sold for $995, and marked way, WAY down to $89.97. With the extra discount, the price was knocked all the way down to $67.48. 93% off!

Deals didn’t end at the malls and outlets. Marshalls and TJ Maxx have racks upon racks of clearance merchandise. Be patients as you sift through, and keep your eyes open because there are certainly deals hiding among the masses of items.

Badgley Mischka gown over 90% off at TJ Maxx!

Check out this Badgley Mischka gown – possibly left over from last spring, but perfect for formal events in the upcoming spring months! The original tag was still attached to this dress, showing the $595 retail price! TJ Maxx was selling the dress for $129.99… the drastically reduced that price in half to $59: 90% off !

As Christmas gets closer, stores are doing everything they can to pull you in. Clearly, they know about last minute shopping and they want to be your “go to” final stop. They’re sending e-mails and mailings galore. Do not ignore those coupons in your mailbox – use them to your advantage!

Talbots has been sending out $15 certificates (off of a $15 purchase), to anyone who has either a Talbots credit card, or a Talbots rewards card (which is free to sign up for, and free to use)!

In addition to the $15 certificate, they also have 30% off the entire store including sale items! Well, I’ve been in need of some socks, so when I saw these styles covered in penguins, bows & polar bears, I went directly to the register. All normally $9.50 each, I ended up getting 3 pairs for only $5.25 including tax! That’s over 80% off!! Just like Express (see my previous post) Talbots took the percent discount prior to the dollar off discount which helped a lot.

‘Till next time, use those mailbox deals to your advantage – and check back tomorrow to see two other amazing deals I scored this weekend!

It was an accident. I didn’t try to cheat the system. I didn’t try to receive anything I didn’t earn. But that’s the way it turned out.

The Lord & Taylor Friends & Family Sale started last week. That means discounts on top of discounts. Regular and sale items are an additional 25% off; clearance items are an additional 30% off. You can even save 10% off of makeup and perfume, which is very rare.

The Clinique counter also had a free gift with a $27 purchase (a zipper bag filled with full size samples of eye-shadow, mascara, lipstick, serum, moisturizer and facial soap). I was purchasing an item as a Christmas gift, but they did not have the exact color I needed in stock. The sales woman graciously ordered the item I needed, shipped free to my house.

On a side note: The item I ordered was exactly $27. I made a choice not to use my 10% off, because I felt that the gift was worth much more than the $2.70 I’d save with the coupon. The sales woman handed me the free gift I earned, with my receipt, and the confirmation of my order.

Unfortunately, I just received an e-mail that said my order has been cancelled because the item is completely sold out! But, to be optimistic: my credit card has been fully credited, and … I still get to keep the awesome free gift, valued at $70! I guess I lucked out (plus Nordstrom has the item I need in stock, price matched to Lord & Taylors’ coupon price ($24.30), with free shipping – and there’s still time to order for Christmas-eve arrival!)

One month out of the year, the mail stack gets larger, and the e-mails become more frequent. For me, that month is October!

Even though my birthday is still a few weeks away, I’ve already begun to receive extra coupons and promotions. Rewards Programs and Rewards Cards are exactly as they sound, rewarding.

At some point over the past year, I signed up for the Edible Arrangements e-mail list. Today, they sent me a coupon code for a free 12-piece box of chocolate dipped fruit any day in October. It also mentions I can pick it up in store, so there is no shipping cost. Yum.

Edible Arrangements Free Dipped Fruit!

Victoria Secret sent me $10 off of any purchase, on my Angels card any day in October. They have a huge variety of lipsticks and lip-glosses for exactly $10, so I’ll most likely grab one of those for free (Spending exactly $10 is the trick to getting out of swiping your card). I typically NEVER use the credit card, but I average 8 “free underwear” coupons per year, and definitely take advantage of those. It doesn’t matter if you don’t use the card, in fact, I think they send me more coupons just to get me in the store (but they can’t trick me).

Ann Taylor sent me a card with $15 off of any purchase, no minimum any day in October. I can easily grab something on the clearance rack for just around $15. Just like VS, I literally haven’t used the Ann Taylor credit card in months, yet I still get the coupons!

Sephora offers a two pack of Nars lipsticks, completely free the month of your birthday in store, or online, when you sign up for their Beauty Insider Program (the program is completely free!). I love using my earned points for free items. When you order online, you’ll receive 3 free samples of your choice. If your order is over $25, you’ll receive an extra larger sample of your choice. If your order is over $50, you don’t pay shipping. I had a $50 gift card (from my discover rewards!!) – and used it to purchase a $54 gift set of FAB Beauty Products which are 100% fragrance free and allergy tested for extremely sensitive skin. I also used 250 of my built up Beauty Insider points to get extra samples of my choice. Free shipping and a LOT of free samples later….. this is what I got for $7.43 (the remaining $4+$3.43tax):

My Sephora lot, under $8!Free NARS lip pencils from Sephora!

I’m signed up for the Ulta rewards program too (you can sign up in store or online for free). Today, they sent me an e-mail saying that I’ll get double points on any purchase in October, plus a note to look out for another e-mail for a free bareMinderals Marvelous Moxie Lip-gloss.

Free Lip-gloss at Ulta on its way!

A few stores are not as generous, but still try…

Bloomingdales sent me a 25% off birthday coupon, plus if I spend $100 any time in October I’ll receive a $25 gift card back for a future purchase.

Vera Bradley sent me a 25% off “entire purchase” coupon, which can be used at any full-price store, any outlet store, or online.

White House Black Market sent a coupon code for Free Shipping – they could do better than that, it’s a little stingy.

Crabtree&Evelyn sent me 15% off my purchase, also stingy in my opinion since their products are incredibly overpriced (I can’t even use anything they sell in their store since they use fragrance)…

15% off purchase at Crabtree&Evelyn

I wonder what will be in my mailbox the next few days! Check back as I add more Birthday Deals and add photos of what I receive throughout the month!